


Before Robin

by TimeTravelAddict



Series: The Parents Live In This One [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alfred is a good cook, Angst, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Thomas and Martha Wayne are Alive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-12 03:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18002945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeTravelAddict/pseuds/TimeTravelAddict
Summary: Bruce decides to take in Dick Grayson.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There's not much about Dick starting to be Robin.

“A child!” Martha said in pure shock. “You want to take in this child…and then what Bruce? Adopt him?”

Bruce shrugged. It had been his idea for the three of them to go to Haly’s Circus while it was in town. And then when the trapeze act started the ropes snapped, it was obvious—to him—that it was no accident.

Their fun night had ended horrifically with the death of two of the best acrobats in the world, and their orphaned son who was just as gifted.

“Why not?”

“Why not?” Martha echoed with her eyebrows raided. She looked at him like he was crazy, and maybe he was. “He’s an 8-year-old boy who got watched his parents died. The poor thing is going to be so traumatized.”

“Are you saying I shouldn’t take Richard in because he’s hurting?” Bruce said. “Mom, I can’t understand what he going to, but I can relate.” He saw the look in the boy’s eyes when he ran down to his parent, he saw that sadness.

Martha’s face softened remembering the night that almost cost her life and left her own son an orphan. “Bruce you are only 24.” Martha said. “And he wouldn’t have much of a mother, unless he would like to have a different mommy every night.”

Bruce rolled his eyes.

“Don’t role your eyes at me,” Martha scolded. “You might be an adult, but I’m still your mother.” She took a deep breath. “One of these days you are going to wish you focused less on how many women you sleep with and finding the one you spend the rest of your life with.”

“Like you said I’m only 24.” Bruce said defending himself. “I’m not ready to settle down.”

“And what do you think a child will do?” His mother said. “You can’t go partying at night untill 4 in the morning, and you can’t sleep around like you do. And if you do, he shouldn’t know.” Bruce laughed in his head. If only she knew he wasn’t parting at night and fighting crime instead. She took another deep breath. “Being a parent is _hard_ Bruce.”

“I know that.”

“Do you?”

He sighed.

“I know you want to do something good for that boy, and that’s good.” Martha said. “It’s the way we raised you. Just think about it for a week.”

“I’ll still feel the same way mom.” Bruce said. “Plus, you said you always wanted grandchildren.”

A small smile crept on her face.

…

It was three day later when he called to check on Richard Grayson. He went down to the orphanage to talk to the woman the ran the place. He just wanted to check on him.

He didn’t have any family. He had nobody else to take him in. All he had was his parents and the Circus. But Pop Haly was old and couldn’t take care or Richard the way his parents could. So, they had no choice, but to leave him in Gotham.

Alfred dropped him off in the front of the orphanage in a long black limo. He could see the children run up to the window to gawk at the car.

“Mr. Wayne!” An older woman, Ms. Williams, said on seeing him enter the orphanage “What could I do you for this lovely day?”

Bruce looked around the room and at the children. He couldn’t see Richard anywhere.  Maybe somebody took him in already? He was a very talent child, one of the best acrobats in the world and he wasn’t even 10. “Is Richard Grayson still here?”

The woman rolled her eyes and she leaned in closer to him. “Mr. Wayne, can I be blunt with you?”

He nodded, not knowing where she was going with this.

“I don’t have the room or time to deal with a child like Dick?”

“Dick?”

“Yes, that’s what he likes to be called.”

“What do you mean you didn’t have room or time?” Bruce asked. “Surely you could have put in another bed somewhere.”

She cleared her throat. “He wasn’t exactly a normal kid, and neither where his parents with all that gypsy voodoo shit they do.”

“Oh?” He said surprised. “You didn’t want Dick he because of his family background?”

She smiled up at him. “I’m glad you understand me Mr. Wayne. I didn’t want him to do anything to the other children. You never know what those damn gypsies can do. It’s disgusting.”

He blinked at her. Ms. Williams, a woman he very often gave donations to, was a racist. His voice dropped an octave, and his fist curled. “No Ms. Williams, I _don’t_ understand. You don’t get to that somebody differently because of what your small brain can’t understand. Now. Where. Is. He?”

“T-the children’s j-juvie.” She stuttered.

He turned on his heel and started to walk out the door, before he left, he turned back to her. “Ms. Williams if I was you, I would start looking for another job.”

He slammed the door on his way out.

…

He went down to the juvie and it was a mess. Chair’s were broken, glass was cratered on the ground. They didn’t have proper food. And most of the children where 5 years older than Dick was.

Most of the kids where their because their parents were drug addicts that OD, or children that deal drugs.

He talked to the man that ran the juvie and let Bruce go back to find Dick. He was huddled in to one the corners of the juvie center.

“Richard,” Bruce said in a calm voice. He put a hand on his shoulder, and he jerked away from it.

“Don’t touch!” He yelled. “I already give you food, what do you what?” He turned around to see that it was Bruce. Bruce took in to note the dark bruise on his cheek, and his hard time with english. “Oh? You’re not Brock. I-I’m sorry. ”

Bruce’s jaw clenched. “Why are they taking your food?”

“W-we don’t get much so they eat mine.” Dick answered with his head down. This was not the young boy Bruce had seen only days before at the circus, before the ropes snapped. That boy was confident, and bright.

“Come.” Bruce said standing up.

“What?” Dick asked.

“I want to take you home with me.” Bruce told him. “I have a very good cook. He can make anything you want.”

“Really?” Dick asked his face brightening some. “You want me?”

“Yes.”  Bruce said. “I’m not going to lie to you Richard.”

Dick stood up and studied Bruce. He looked down at his shoes, at his fancy jacket, his watch, and his gelled back hair. “Do you lot of money?

Bruce smirked. “Good observation.” He held out his hand. “Are you ready?”

Dick took his hand and they left the Juvie together.

…

“This place cool.” Dick said looking around that manor. Bruce would have to find away to teach him better English. His grammar wasn’t correct, and he wasn’t saying most of his words that right way.

“Yes indeed,” Alfred said. “Very cool. Now Master Dick, what would you like to eat?”

Dick thought about it for a moment. “The cookies with chips of chocolate.”

Alfred nodded and left them. “Mom! Dad! I’m home.”

“Hi Brucie,” His father greeted, when he saw Dick he paused. He told the he was just going to check up on him, to start to foster him. “Your mother had an event to go to. A girl thing, I wasn’t invited. Is this Richard?”

“Yes.” Bruce said. “Dick this is my father, Thomas.”

Dick nodded and moved closer to Bruce. One of his small hands grabbed on to the fabric of his pants. “Hi,” he said weakly.

Thomas cleared his throat. “Bruce could I talk to you in the other room.”

Bruce nodded and started to move, but Dick gripped on to his pants tighter. “No leave me!” He said. “You can’t leave.”

“Okay.” He said putting a hand on Dick head. “I’m not going to leave you.”

He looked at his father “Later.” He mouthed to him.

…

When later came his father and mother sat him down in one of the sitting room along with Alfred. Dick was fast asleep in the far end of the Wayne Manor. The Manor was very large so Bruce never bothered moving out. It was so large he could go days with out seeing his parents, and when he brought his ‘friends’ over, it didn’t bother his parents.

He didn’t even use the main entrance. It was like having his own home that was connected to his parents.

“You said you would think about it for a week.” Martha said. “You were just going to check on him.”

“They weren’t treating him right.” Bruce told them. “Ms. Williams, the sweet old lady that runs the orphanage didn’t want his staying there because of his background.”

His father’s brow rose in surprise. “I’ll have to call the Mayor.”

“Already done.” Bruce said. “She’ll be out of there this time next week.”

“That’s good.”

“They had him in the Juvie.” Bruce said angry. “The other kids hit him, and took his food.”

Martha nodded, agreeing with her sons reasoning to take the boy in. “He’s your responsibility. I’m in my 50’s Bruce, I’m done being a mother.”

“I know.”

“That doesn’t mean we won’t help you though.” Thomas said.

“He’s not even really mine yet.” Bruce said. “I have Lucius drawing up the papers, but it’s going to take a while.”

“Are you sure?” Thomas said. “Being a father is hard.”

Bruce shook his head. “I’m not going to be his father. He had a father, and he’s dead. I’ll just be fatherly.”

Martha chuckled. “Good Luck.”


	2. Language

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce teaches Dick some English, while speaking in Romanian. His father walks in and has some questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow you guys liked the last chapters, so I decided to add some more.   
> Sorry for any poor spelling and bad grammar.

“You use ‘an’ when the next word sounds with a vowel, and you use ‘a’ when it sounds like a constant.” Bruce said. Dick had been living with him for the last 3 months now, and he was picking up on English easily enough.

His parents had taught him a good chunk of the language. They had already taught Dick how to speak French and Romanian fluently, and some of German. Romani was his first language.

Because Bruce didn’t know how to speak Romani he spoke to Dick in Romanian while he was teaching him English. It was a language both of them knew well.

“Is this okay?” Dick said in Romanian handing Bruce his paper.

Bruce looked it over. “You mixed up these words and used the wrong ending here. You should also work on your handing writing.” He didn’t mean to be so picky with his work, but the young boy needed to get it right, and the sooner the better.

“Woah.” His father said walking in to the room, his brows raised in surprise. “What language was that?”

Bruce looked over at his father. He hadn’t told his parents that he was fluent in 18 language. It wouldn’t make his ‘traveling’ trip look normal. He was supposed to have traveled to party and meet exotic women, not learn how to be one the best fighters in the world and be the best detective. “Romanian.” He answered honestly. He couldn’t lie about that.

“When did you learn that?” Thomas asked him.

“I spent a few months in Romania when I was traveling.” He lied with ease. “I met a woman there who taught me the basics.”

“That sounded like more than a basics Bruce.” Thomas said.

Beside him Dick shrugged. “He’s not that good.” Dick said in English. He had gotten much better in the short time he had been with them. He was a very fast learner. “It’s actually funny when Bruce tries to speak Romanian.”

Bruce laughed softly, playing along with Dick’s lie. “Hey, I’m trying.”

“Try harder.” He pointed his pencil at Bruce and smiled at him brightly. Bruce was proud that he was coming out of his shell.

It hadn’t been easy to help Dick, especially with the death of his parents so fresh in his mind. It made it even harder when Dick would sneak out of the Manor, and out to the city to find Tony Zucco.

Bruce was amazed to see how the 8-year-old, nearly 9, was able to figure out that Zucco killed his parents, with only a little help from the Batman. Bruce couldn’t wait for the day he would find Zucco and send him to jail so Dick would stop running out at night.

He was 8 and no where near that age to become a hero.

Thomas hummed. “Oh, it seemed like you knew what you were saying.”

Bruce faked a laugh. “Well Dick thinks it funny.”

“It’s hilarious.” Dick said.

“I agree with you.” Thomas said. “Now, for why I’m here, I was having a craving for ice cream, and was wondering if you wanted any. My treat.”

“Yes!” Dick said jumping out of his chair. “Come on Bruce, don’t be slow you old man.”

Bruce laughed for real that time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comment, and If you have any ideas let me know.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comment


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